Frolic Amongst Arizona Wildflowers That Are In Full Bloom This Spring

If you’re new around here, the running joke about Phoenix is that it only has two seasons: Christmas and summer. Sure, it’s true that the snap from winter to summer comes much faster than we’d like it to, but it’s time the fleeting spring season gets the kudos it deserves. We’re all familiar, too familiar, really, with the usual crowds of baseball bros and booze-fueled bachelorette parties spring brings. But this blink-and-you’ll-miss-it season also brings a bounty of beautiful blooming Arizona wildflowers to every corner of the Valley.

Most years, the Phoenix flower season lasts from late February to May, so the time to see wildflowers is, well, now. From Lost Dutchman to Lake Pleasant, here’s where you can see Arizona wildflowers this spring.

Head east to Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, about a 50 minute drive from downtown Phoenix, for stunning views of flower-flecked hillsides and the Superstition Mountains. Set out on the scenic Treasure Loop Trail from the Saguaro day-use area where you’ll instantly be surrounded by a vibrant tapestry of springtime color including tangerine California poppies, fiery orange globemallow, and yellow brittlebush blooms. Extend your park visit with a campsite reservation and catch the morning sunrise from your tent.

Covering more than 16,000 acres and just minutes from downtown, South Mountain Park and Preserve in Phoenix is one of the largest city parks in the country. Accessible from all directions, the popular preserve consists of three mountain ranges (the Ma Ha Tauk, Gil, and Guadalupe) and features 50 miles of recreational trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. From the north side, start out on Javelina Canyon Trail via Beverly Canyon Trailhead for epic views of colorful hillsides, thanks to the Mexican poppies, brittlebush, and creosote bush blooms, as you wind up, down, and around the rocky terrain. While you’re here, go to Pima Canyon Trailhead to see the hotly debated Marcos de Niza petroglyphs (mapped here) and even more Arizona wildflowers.

Keep your Phoenix flower adventure on the beaten path at the Desert Botanical Garden, located nearby Papago Park, in Phoenix. The urban garden preserve has one of the world’s largest living collections of desert plants, ranging from rare and unusual species to common plants you might even have on your own patio. Each spring, DBG comes alive with colorful blooms including prickly pear cactus blossoms, purple wildflowers, blooming Saguaros, Parry's penstemon, yellow palo verde trees, and ruby-red cactus flowers. Make a late lunch stop at Gertrude’s and order a garden margarita while you watch the hummingbirds zip around from the restaurant’s shaded veranda.

At Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear, about 23 miles west of downtown, the Phoenix flowers and far-reaching desert vista views are plentiful. Hike Rainbow Valley Loop Trail to peep purple scorpion weed, California poppies, Coulter’s lupine, and flowering yellow cups. Wondering if there’s really a difference between California poppies and Mexican poppies? Join a ranger-led wildflower hike to learn about the unique ecology of the Sonoran Desert and how to identify Arizona wildflowers. Register via the park website.

Lake Pleasant Regional Park in Morristown, about 40 miles north of downtown Phoenix, is a watersports paradise where Arizona wildflowers abound. Close all your rings on the Pipeline Canyon Trail (mapped here) where you’ll trek over bridges and across narrow passages surrounded by California poppies, saffron-colored brittlebush blooms, and wooly globemallow. For folks who prefer to scope flowers from the deck of a boat, reserve a captained sunset cruise or rent your own party pontoon for a day at Scorpion Bay Marina.

For an Arizona wildflower spotting expedition where the journey is just as important as the destination, venture out to Boyce Thompson Arboretum, in Superior. About an hour drive from central Phoenix, this wildflower wonderland comprises 135 acres of explorable garden exhibits and thousands of diverse plant species including spring wildflowers like lupines, owl clover, purple bladderpod, wild hyacinth, and California poppies as well as native shrubs like creosote bush and fairy duster. The Sonoran Desert Exhibit and Curandero Trail, Cactus and Succulent Garden, Chihuahuan Desert Exhibit, and Pollinator Garden, are absolute must-sees. Plan to spend at least a few hours at the arboretum, there’s a lot of ground to cover.

In North Phoenix, the mostly untouched rocky desert terrain at Phoenix Sonoran Preserve, just 23 miles from the heart of the city, reveals a rainbow of color during the spring season. Wildflower seekers can spot brittlebush, apricot mallow, lupine, and California poppies along Apache Wash Loop. Get acquainted with the rest of the 36-mile trail system and trek to the top of Apache Vista or Ridgeback Overlook, the first two summits of Phoenix’s grueling and surely blister-inducing Seven Summits Challenge.

Make your way to Saguaro Lake in Tonto National Forest via Bush Highway, 40 miles from downtown, for a seriously scenic desert drive through painted fields of vivid yellow and orange blooms. Keep an eye out for California poppies, brittlebush, and wild horses on your way there. Hike Butcher Jones Trail, a moderate trek that stretches the shoreline and winds around towering Saguaros, for up close glimpses of native wildlife and the desert’s glorious spring season blooms. Stock a cooler with your favorite charcuterie supplies for a picnic lunch on the beach or plunge into the lake for a post-hike refresh.

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve might be surrounded by country clubs and pricey resorts, but don’t let its metropolitan location mislead you, the North Scottsdale recreation destination is your gateway to Arizona wildflowers in spring. Start your adventure from Lost Dog Wash Trailhead and scout bright yellow prickly pear flowers, pops of pink cane cholla blossoms, California poppies, blooming ocotillo, and sprays of golden brittlebush while you carefully navigate the rugged landscape. Look out for the native wildlife; javelinas, tree lizards, desert cottontail, Gila woodpeckers, and coyotes all make a home of the preserve.

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